Eden

He glares down at me. “You pull this shit again, I’ll take you over my knee and spank you until your ass is red, got it?”

My breath catches. “Don’t threaten me with that—” But I pause, finally processing something he’d included in his list of people out to get me. “Wait, what did you mean campus police are looking for a reason to bust me? I thought that was over.”

“Apparently you forgot there’s a missing student and a few dead ones, thanks to a Kentucky-fried-fucking building right across campus that everyone still thinks you burned to the ground to get back at me.” When I swallow hard, he gives me a slow, smug blink. “Don’t worry about it. That’s why I’m paying your attorney so much, so they don’t bother you with a problem that’s already been … dissolved.”

Dissolved.

A sick feeling swirls my insides, turning the pit of my stomach into lava. “Saint … please tell me you didn’t—”

“Wake up alone?” He lowers his forehead to mine, his intense eyes burning down on me and flashing with warning. “I did, and now you’re not sleeping tonight either. Come on, we’re going back.”

I want to push him for more, but he wraps his arm around my shoulders and practically drags me out the door. By the stubborn set of his jaw, I can tell he considers this conversation over.

It can’t be over, though. I’ll let it be put on pause for now, but if he thinks I’m going to let it go completely, he doesn’t know me at all.

Saint’s comments are still on my mind the next evening when I take an Uber to Ravenwood to meet with Kristyn. That sick feeling is also still twisting my stomach, and it’s only gotten worse as the day dragged on. Saint stayed with me last night, though I struggled to get any sleep and it wasn’t due to his threat to keep me awake—he had drifted off to sleep a few minutes after his head hit the pillow.

I had laid in bed for hours, staring at my ceiling as I replayed that single word in my head.

Dissolved.

When I finally did go to sleep, he disappeared on me again. I told myself upon first waking to find him gone that it was probably for the best, but I couldn’t stop the disappointment from returning to mix in with all the other shit ru

Taking some time away from Angelview will be a good distraction. Having a task to focus on will help my brain calm down, even if just for a bit.

When I arrive at Ravenwood, there’s a pretty blonde girl in a navy and white school uniform waiting for me. I can’t help but think of Laurel when I take in her bored expression, but apparently, this is just the generic bitch look at these schools.

“Hey,” she says when I step out of the car. “I’m Kristyn.”

I offer her my hand. “Carley,” I lie. “Thanks for helping me out.”

She gazes down at my offered hand like it’s covered in dog shit.

With a sigh, she looks back up at me and says, “This way.”

I drop my hand, inexplicably embarrassed, and follow her as she leads me through campus. The place is pretty similar to Angelview in structure and appearance, but Ravenwood’s school colors hang throughout, displayed on ba

Kristyn doesn’t say anything to me as we make our way to the library and inside, but I don’t really mind. I have a feeling we wouldn’t have a lot in common anyway. She takes me inside and leads me toward the back of the building. There’s an empty table she directs me to, tucked away among rows and rows of records.

“Okay, so you can have free reign of this place,” she explains, though I can tell by looking at her that she’s over this. “The librarians know to let you have access to stuff, and I guess when you’re done, you can just head out on your own.”

Damn, I hadn’t expected to get quite so lucky with this. I figured I’d have to dodge some sort of babysitter to get to the information I really wanted.

I bob my head. “Yeah, sounds good.”

“Cool. See you.” With that, Kristyn turns and walks away, turning around just once to look at me again, and then I’m left alone to do as I wish.

I don’t waste a second and get to work immediately, scouring the shelves for old student records, yearbooks—anything I can find that might be useful.

I hit the motherfucking jackpot.

Really, I’d expected a few extra tidbits, but instead I uncover old roommates, accolades, grade books, and even a few interviews of the star athletes and pupils featured in the school newspaper. Everything I uncover paints the picture of two amazingly talented sisters that were seven years apart and came from a middle-class family that actually gave a fuck about them. While their family wasn’t swimming in money, Eleanor and Alexandra Mallory had the world at their feet because they were beautiful and brilliant.

And in one night, it was all taken away.

I find a few pictures of Jameson Angelle and Nora’s fiancé—my father—at a few dances and events open to Angelview students. I stare at one in particular of Nora and Benjamin together on a dance floor, their arms wrapped around each other. They look so happy and so in love, it kind of makes my heart ache. In the background is Jameson, and he looks…pensive.

Almost angry.

Why, though? Why did he turn on his friend if what Nora believes is true? Why try to kill us all?

As I’m searching through the library, my phone buzzes incessantly, but I ignore it. I’m too focused on my research to be bothered, and it’s likely just Saint freaking out, wanting to know where I am like the fucking stalker he is.

After what has to be about the twentieth text, I grab my phone, intent on putting it on Do Not Disturb, but his message flashes across the lock screen.

SAINT ANGELLE: I’m tracking your phone. Coming to get you.

I let out an irritated groan. He has got to back off. Even if I do appreciate his protectiveness on some base level, there’s a fine line between protective and suffocating. Opening my phone, I begin writing him a message to leave me alone, when suddenly, the library’s lights go out.

I freeze. Shit, what time is it? It can’t be closed yet.

My phone says it’s barely past seven.

I hear noise around me, like feet shuffling along the floor, trying to be quiet, but failing miserably. Figures move in the darkness, and my whole body goes rigid.

What the fuck is going on?

Fumbling with my phone, I try to turn the flashlight on, but it’s too late.

The first hit catches me on the left side of my face, and I hear the rest of my attackers swarming in on me, but I can’t see a single one of them.